Open Flight Solutions Launches ADS-B Quick-Build Kit For $200

Share Article

Open Flight Solutions is launching an ADS-B receiver that makes real-time, in-flight weather and traffic data available to general aviation pilots at a fraction of the cost of existing solutions.

FlightBox and the Stratux open source project on which it is based are the start of an open revolution in avionics

Kansas City, Missouri (PRWEB)January 20, 2016

Open Flight Solutions today announced the launch of a Kickstarter campaign to bring to market FlightBox, a full-featured, portable ADS-B In system that costs as little as $200. FlightBox provides real-time weather, traffic, and WAAS GPS data to popular iOS and Android apps, including WingX Pro, ForeFlight and FlyQ EFB. Built from off-the-shelf hardware and open source software, FlightBox offers all of the features of proprietary systems at a fraction of the cost.

Steve Sokol, founder of Open Flight Solutions, believes that FlightBox and the Stratux open source project on which it is based are the start of an open revolution in avionics.

“ADS-B In has the potential to make flying safer, more efficient, and more enjoyable. Unfortunately, only a very small percentage of pilots have access to ADS-B In. Up to now the cost has been prohibitive. FlightBox brings the price down to the point where just about any pilot can afford it.

“This is an extension of the home-building and kit-building movement that’s been the only steady growth point in GA for the past fifteen years. Open software and hardware not only reduce costs, they also accelerate the pace of innovation. Open source has transformed other markets -- operating systems, telephone systems, routers -- and now it’s about to change aviation.”

Offered as a quick-build kit, FlightBox is available in two models, a single-band version that receives on the 978 MHz UAT band, and a dual-band system that adds support for traffic from aircraft equipped with 1090-ES transponders. Both models include a WAAS-capable GPS receiver, pre-loaded data card, tuned ADS-B antennas, and a custom case. Assembly takes roughly five minutes and requires only a screwdriver and pliers. No computer skills are required.

The Kickstarter campaign is scheduled to run for 30 days, ending on February 17. The campaign must generate a minimum of $10,000 in backing (orders) within the 30 day period to succeed. The Kickstarter rewards include the single-band receiver for $200 and the dual-band model for $250. An “early bird” option for the first 50 backers of both the single and dual-band models reduces the price to $150 and $200 respectively.

About Open Flight Solutions

Open Flight Solutions is a new kind of avionics company, dedicated to the idea that safety-enhancing technology can be affordable. Building on open hardware and software, Open Flight is taking the lead in creating a market for kit avionics. Founded in 2016 by an open source professional and private pilot, Open Flight is based in the Kansas City, Missouri metroplex.